MOON TOWNSHIP, PA. - Monmouth battled defending Northeast Conference Champion Robert Morris in the Sewall Center to the end, but fell victim to six Colonial free throws in the final minute, in a 60-57 defeat on Saturday night.

Robert Morris (8-9, 4-2 NEC), which was averaging 72.8 points per game over its last four contests, outscored Monmouth 8-5 over the final 1:50 of action to claim the home win. With the game tied at 52-52 with 2:14 left, RMU went ahead on Russell Johnson's lay-up with 1:50 showing and went 6-for-6 from the line in the final 32 seconds.

The Hawks were sparked by sophomore Jesse Steele, who netted a team-high 21 points for Monmouth off the bench, while Marcus Ware, in his first career start, notched his third straight 10-point game, while adding five rebounds and three assists. Steele, who hit four three-pointers, went 6-for-11 from the field, and 5-for-5 from the line.

After R.J. Rutledge's drive trimmed the deficit in half at 4-2, the Colonials grabbed a 7-2 edge on Velton Jones' three-pointer, but consecutive treys from Jesse Steele, coupled with a pair of Marcus Ware free throws, gave the Hawks a 10-7 lead with 13:41 left in the half.

RMU ended a 5:27 scoreless stretch on Lawrence Bridges' free throw, but Steele's third three-pointer of the stanza pushed the Hawks' run to 11-1 and gave Monmouth a 13-8 advantage with 11:07 remaining.

The Colonials answered with five straight to knot the game at 13-13, but a Rutledge three-pointer and two Nick DelTufo free throws reclaimed a five-point edge for MU, 18-13, with 8:12 showing. RMU responded with the next three points to make the score 18-16, but Steele's fourth trey sparked an 8-0 MU spurt, to extend the Hawks' lead to 26-16 with 4:31 left.

Following Abraham's third trey of the half, Mike Myers Keitt drilled a wing three-pointer of his own to put the Hawks ahead 31-22 with 2:27 left until the break, but RMU end the stanza with three free throws to climb within 31-25 at the intermission.

The Colonials, who scored the final three points of the first half, raced out with the first six points of the second stanza to knot the game at 31-31 with 18:09 left in the game. Gary Wallace's jumper increased the RMU run to 8-1 out of the break, and gave the Colonials their first lead since the 15:41 mark of the first half.

Steele's drive and left-handed scoop reclaimed a 34-33 lead for the Hawks with 13:48 left, but consecutive three-pointers from Abraham put RMU back in front 39-34 with 11:57 showing.

After RMU grabbed a 40-34 edge, Steele's pull-up jumper and Myers Keitt's dunk off a feed from James Hett, pulled Monmouth within 40-38 with 9:30 left.

The two sides traded three-pointers and after DelTufo's trey, Ware canned a pair of foul shots to tie the score at 43-43, and gave Monmouth a 44-43 edge with 7:17 left on another free throw.

Monmouth's 7-0 run put the Hawks in front 45-43 with 6:53 left, but the Colonials reclaimed a 46-45 lead on Anthony Myers' offensive putback. After Ed Waite's free throw tied the score at 46-46, a pair of Steele foul shots gave the Hawks a 48-46 edge with 4:29 left.

Coron Williams drained a trey to give the Colonials a 49-48 edge, but Hett, around a curl at the top of the key, drilled a three-pointer to put MU back in front 51-49, with 3:14 on the clock.

Trailing by a pair, Yann Charles' traditional three-point play with 2:49 left, gave the Colonials a 52-51 lead, before Waite's free throw tied the contest at 52-52 with 2:14 showing.

RMU claimed a two-point edge with 1:50 left on Johnson's lay-in.

Trailing 54-52, Monmouth called timeout with 41.2 seconds left, but DelTufo was whistled for an illegal screen, turning the ball over to the Colonials.

Abraham connected on two more free throws to give RMU a 56-52 cushion and Steele's three-point attempt with 20.0 seconds left fell short, which led to two more Colonial foul shots.

Ware's lay-in off a feed from Hett pulled MU within 58-54 with 12.1 ticks remaining, and Myers Keitt drilled a three-pointer as time expired to account for the final 60-57 score.

MU, which was 6-for-9 from three in the opening half, connected on nine three-pointers for 52.9% from beyond the arc, and hit 18-of-25 from the foul line.

Abraham, who hit five three-pointers, led the Colonials with 18 points.

Monmouth (5-13, 1-5 NEC) returns to action on Thursday, when the Hawks host Central Connecticut State University in a Northeast Conference contest at 7:45 p.m., in the MAC.